CyberGhost VPN vs Proton VPN 2024

Doris Muthuri

Former Senior Writer

There are some striking similarities between CyberGhost and Proton VPN. They both offer excellent speeds and great performance for gaming and torrenting. Plus, they are designed for ease of use, even for complete VPN beginners. However, there are some key differences that could influence your decision.

To determine the better VPN, I tested each based on security, streaming quality, affordability, speed, server locations, and ease of use. I also factored in customer support. After a side-by-side comparison, I identified which VPN offers the best value for your money.

CyberGhost proved to be the better overall option, with a larger server network, more advanced security features, and responsive customer support. You can also try CyberGhost risk-free since it comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee. If it doesn’t match your needs, you can claim a full refund.

Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings

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Streaming — CyberGhost Wins by a Narrow Margin

Both VPNs worked well for streaming in my region, but CyberGhost works more consistently with a couple more platforms than Proton VPN.

My teammate in the US tested both VPNs with local platforms and had smooth streaming with almost every one they tried. However, Proton VPN was unable to stream Disney+ in the US. However, colleagues in other countries, like the UK, Germany, and Australia, reported they had no issues.

My US colleague also said they were unable to get Proton VPN working with DAZN. On the other hand, they reported that CyberGhost worked just fine when they tested its DAZN.

CyberGhost has numerous specialty servers that provide fast and stable connections to local streaming services. My global team tested these and experienced smooth streaming on the most popular platforms in their regions. CyberGhost engineers constantly monitor these servers to ensure they provide fast and reliable streaming for their intended platforms.

While there was some increased load time, it was only a few extra seconds

However, my colleague in the UK couldn’t get it to work at all with the Prime Video UK library. They didn’t experience similar issues with Proton VPN.

They were able to watch the entire episode with minimal lag

Winner

Both VPNs are excellent for streaming, but CyberGhost is slightly better. It offers specialized servers for most top platforms and works seamlessly with most of them.

Server Network — CyberGhost Wins With Its Specialized Servers

CyberGhost VPN’s vast fleet of servers gives it an easy win. With more connection options, there's less load per server, which can lead to smoother streaming, gaming, and downloading. Proton VPN isn't too far behind in terms of server count, though.

Still, CyberGhost also comes ahead with its specialized servers for gaming, streaming, and torrenting. Plus, it has a collection of highly secure NoSpy servers, which are exclusively managed by its staff at the company's headquarters in Romania.

I found the servers optimized for streaming to be more reliable

Both VPNs use a combination of physical and virtual servers. Physical servers are located in the country you connect to. Virtual servers give you an IP address from your chosen country, but your data is routed through a server in another country. This setup offers additional privacy in countries with strict surveillance, such as China and Russia.

One thing I like about Proton VPN is that it shows you the server load so you can know which servers are most efficient.

Winner

CyberGhost has more servers, some of which are optimized for different online activities. So has an easy win in this round, too.

Speed — Proton VPN Is Slightly Faster Than CyberGhost

Our UK-based speed tester compared the performance of both VPNs by testing many of their servers worldwide, including in the UK, the US, and Japan. Their base download speed was 217.64 Mbps, and the upload speed was 25.93 Mbps.

Proton VPN delivered slightly better speeds on both nearby and distant servers, thanks to its VPN Accelerator feature. This feature is designed to enhance speeds, especially when connecting to far-away servers on unstable internet connections. It is enabled by default.

On UK servers, Proton VPN's speed decreased by only 6%, while CyberGhost experienced an 11% drop. Both VPNs had slower speeds over long distances, with CyberGhost being the slowest.

I could still play games without lag even on servers far away

I should mention that even though CyberGhost’s speeds were slower, I could still stream without lag while using servers nearby.

Winner

Proton VPN gave me faster speeds thanks to its VPN Accelerator feature.

Gaming — CyberGhost Had a Slightly Lower Ping

Both VPNs had almost similar ping rates, but CyberGhost's were slightly lower. Ping measures the response time between your device and the servers, which is crucial for gaming. A ping under 100ms is ideal for smooth gameplay, but lower ping rates are preferable for the best performance.

Below are the ping results on different servers:

For both VPNs, the US servers had a ping slightly above 100 ms, but I didn’t experience significant lag on these servers. Even the CyberGhost’s servers optimized for gaming had almost similar ping. I tested these servers and could enjoy playing Roblox without issues.

I never experienced delays on any of the games I played

However, the story was different for the Japan server (the ping was above 250 ms for both VPNs.) When I tried CyberGhost’s Japan server with Roblox, my character would freeze randomly, making the game barely enjoyable. The experience was slightly better with Proton VPN.

Winner

CyberGhost had a lower ping for better playback. However, both VPNs produced higher latency on further connections — but this is normal.

Torrenting — CyberGhost Wins With More P2P Optimized Servers

Both VPNs have servers optimized for torrenting, but CyberGhost has slightly more than Proton VPN. This means that with CyberGhost, you will be more likely to find a nearby optimized server to torrent without delays.

Download speeds were fairly similar for both VPNs. I tested CyberGhost’s torrenting-optimized server in Kenya and downloaded a 1.35 GB copyright-free file in less than 14 minutes. Using Proton VPN’s server in South Africa, closest to my location in Nairobi, it took 21 minutes to download the same file. This was impressive since Nigeria is about 4,000 km away from my location.

Both VPNs provide essential security features for torrenting. However, Proton VPN has an advantage with port forwarding, which can speed up downloads, a feature CyberGhost does not offer.

Winner

While both VPNs provide high-level protection while torrenting, CyberGhost comes out on top because it has more torrenting-optimized servers

Security — CyberGhost Wins With a Few More Advanced Features

Both VPNs provide strong security features to keep your information safe online. They each offer military-grade encryption, plus an ad and malware blocker to protect you online — CyberGhost’s Block Content and Proton VPN’s Netshield. I tested both, and they successfully blocked most ads and malicious content but did not block in-video ads.

They both also offer dedicated IP, a private IP address that you can only use. Although it costs extra, it’s nice to have as an option. I like that CyberGhost offers an in-built kill switch, so you don’t have to activate it, unlike Proton VPN.

CyberGhost stands out for its robust security features that you can customize to your liking. These include customizable WiFi protection and NoSpy servers. The NoSpy servers enhance security by housing all data in a private data center, reducing the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks. I also like App rules, which will connect the VPN as soon as you launch specified apps.

These servers are located in CyberGhost's highly secure Romanian headquarters

However, Proton VPN also has a few advanced features, such as Secure Core (multi-hop) and Tor servers. Secure Core routes your traffic through a connection in a privacy-friendly country (like Switzerland) and then through another server of your choice. It does slow your connection down quite a bit, though.

Winner

Another close fight — but CyberGhost comes on top with a few more advanced features.

Privacy — Draw

Both CyberGhost and Proton VPN have strict no-log policies that have been independently verified. This is reassuring because it confirms that they adhere to the privacy claims stated in their policies. CyberGhost does not store your IP address, DNS queries, or browsing history.

It only collects the information you give them to sign up

Proton VPN's no-logs policy was confirmed by a 2022 audit from Swiss auditing firm Securitum. CyberGhost's no-logs policy was audited by Deloitte.

CyberGhost and Proton VPN also have consistently demonstrated their dedication to privacy over the years — but in different ways. Proton VPN offers a whole suite of products designed to protect user privacy and has also fought for stronger privacy laws and the free flow of information. On the other hand, CyberGhost was the first service to begin releasing quarterly transparency reports since 2011.

Both are also located outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances — CyberGhost is in Romania, and Proton VPN is in the Netherlands. This means that they have no obligation to store or share information with any government, so you can rest assured that your data is safe.

Winner - draw

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Both have strict, audited no-log policies and are headquartered outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances.

Works in China — Neither Is Reliable, So a Draw

Our VPNs are frequently tested for use in China, but neither CyberGhost nor Proton VPN is effective there. I contacted customer support to find out whether each of the services works in China. Both their representatives claim that they can both work, but this isn’t guaranteed.

China uses highly advanced VPN blocking techniques, so it’s not surprising that many VPNs struggle to work there.

Most VPNs are illegal in China. While there are no known cases of tourists facing penalties for using a VPN there, I do not recommend using a VPN to access blocked sites and services in the country.

Winner - draw

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These VPNs aren’t recommended for use in the region, but you can check out our top-rated VPNs for China if this is a priority for you.

Installation & Ease of Use — CyberGhost is Generally More User-Friendly

Both VPNs are user-friendly. However, CyberGhost stands out with its straightforward interface. The menus and options are clearly labeled and easy to navigate, particularly on its desktop apps. I especially like that it has specialty servers that are neatly organized in separate tabs, making them easy to access.

CyberGhost also offers more automation settings. For example, you’ll find a heap of adjustable security options under the Smart Rules menu. This is where you’ll find App rules, split tunneling (Exceptions), and its WiFi protection options. I like that you can save steps by launching an app automatically when the VPN is connected — I set it up to launch Chrome.

You can easily toggle most features on and off

Proton VPN can be initially confusing — its server icons are small and it’s not clear what they represent (some are for P2P, while others are for Tor). However, once I familiarized myself with it, it got much easier to navigate.

Winner

Both VPNs are quick to set up, but CyberGhost takes the win because it’s more accessible for beginners. However, Proton VPN is more compact and sleek, and it gets easier to use once you’ve gotten the hang of it.

Reliability & Support — CyberGhost Offers Live Chat Without a Subscription

CyberGhost provides 24/7 live chat with quick responses from knowledgeable agents. Proton VPN also has a live chat, but it's only available to paid subscribers.

Plus, CyberGhost has a comprehensive knowledge base that includes easy-to-follow setup guides and video tutorials. You also get an FAQ section on the site, which has helped answer many of my questions. Proton VPN's knowledge base is less detailed.

Winner

CyberGhost wins this round with a live chat feature that anyone can access.

Tips on Choosing Between CyberGhost VPN and Proton VPN

In my detailed review of CyberGhost and Proton VPN, I focused on specific features. Here's what to consider if you want to test them yourself:

• Smooth streaming — I checked that the VPN allows uninterrupted streaming of the platforms available in my region. Remember that while VPNs can connect you to servers abroad to access foreign content, doing so may violate the terms and conditions of many platforms and could potentially breach copyright laws.
• Fast speeds — We test the VPNs' speed by checking their download and upload rates during peak and off-peak hours to see which is faster.
• Server network — A vast global server network means you can connect securely and use the internet from more locations. Both CyberGhost and Proton VPN offer a diverse range of global servers to ensure fast connections worldwide.
• Robust security features — Strong security protects your data online. I check each VPN's security features, including encryption standards, kill switches, and leak protection, to ensure they safeguard my data on public Wi-Fi.
• Trustworthy privacy practices — Trustworthy privacy practices are key. I verified that both VPNs maintain no-logs policies and publish transparency reports, keeping your online activities private.
• Ease of use — A user-friendly VPN improves your experience. I assessed the ease of use by looking at the installation process, interface design, and customer support availability.
• Trustworthy money-back guarantee — I look at the terms of the money-back guarantee to ensure I can get a refund if the service doesn't meet my expectations.

CyberGhost VPN vs Proton VPN — Reddit Opinions

Reddit opinion about CyberGhost are pretty diverse. Some people question privacy protection due to its ownership by Kape Technology. That said, it’s demonstrated a high level of commitment to user privacy through its audited no-logs policy, transparency reports, and robust privacy features. So I feel confident that my data is in safe hands. The biggest praises I saw are for its gaming capabilities and ease of use.

On the other hand, most people on Reddit recommend Proton VPN for its privacy protection and reliability — even on its free plan. It has a longstanding reputation for keeping users safe and has demonstrated this through a variety of avenues.